Lent, a Season of Hope: Preparing Our Hearts for Easter, Day 32
Exodus 20:8,11
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Watching old movies is a favorite pastime for me and every once in a while a little gem will pop up on the TCM network. “The Next Voice You Hear” is one of those that I could watch over and over again. Released in 1950, it tells the story of “Joe Smith, American” who lives in a Los Angeles suburb and works at an aircraft plant; he has a wife (played by Nancy Davis Reagan) and one son. Joe’s habit after dinner is to settle into his chair to listen to his favorite radio program. One night he is startled when an unfamiliar voice suddenly cuts into the program and says, “This is God. I’ll be with you for the next few days.” Joe is not the only one to hear the voice—people all over the world hear it as well, in their own language. The next night the same voice comes on with a new message and every night thereafter. By the seventh day, a Sunday, Joe and his family along with other folks from his community, as well as people worldwide gather in their houses of worship to hear God speak…but there is silence. Their expectation turns to disappointment until Joe’s minister reminds the congregants that God rested on the seventh day. Though the movie is not entirely sound in theology its sweet message has an impact for good on the folks who hear God’s voice and their lives are forever changed.
Scripture reminds us that we are to “remember the Sabbath to keep it holy “ as “the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. “ Even though we are not bound by Old Testament Sabbath directives, Jesus never said to forsake the Sabbath completely. It was easier to set aside the day in years past when it was taken more seriously but in today’s contemporary society keeping the Sabbath may seem downright old-fashioned and countercultural.
As Christians, we shouldn’t claim busyness, family pressures or fatigue as good excuses to forsake church attendance. Keeping the Sabbath is still one of the Ten Commandments after all! God built it in for a reason—we need rest after six days of work and time to turn our attention to the Lord. “Keeping it holy” means to set the day apart—different from any other day—a time to worship, refresh, rest and regroup for the week ahead. It has been my habit for over thirty years to take a good long, under-the-covers nap each Sunday afternoon after church.
I trust that this Lenten season has led all of us to have a fresh perspective on what God desires for us. Let us commit anew to keeping the Sabbath that will add a new dimension to our walk and to our week.
Father, we praise You that You know better than we do what will benefit our relationship with You and benefit our lives spiritually and physically. Forgive us if we have an attitude of going our own way because we think we know what is best. Help us to carve out time for the Sabbath, to spend time in worship and rest. For Your sake we pray. Amen.
